Silver-coated copper powder is a composite powder material made by coating the surface of ultra-fine copper powder with a silver layer, combining the excellent conductivity and oxidation resistance of silver with the cost-effectiveness of copper. Based on particle size, silver-coated copper powder can be categorized into nanoscale (<100 nm), submicron (100–1,000 nm), and micron (1–10 μm) grades. It is suitable for applications such as conductive adhesives, conductive inks, electronic packaging, photovoltaic cells, electromagnetic shielding, and petrochemical industries, making it a cost-effective alternative to pure silver powder.

There are three methods for preparing silver-coated copper powder: melt atomization, mixed ball milling, and chemical plating. 

Melt Atomization

The melt atomization method can be used to prepare high-quality silver-coated copper powder, but it has issues such as high production costs and a complex process flow, and this method has not yet been widely applied. 

Mixed Ball Milling

As a traditional method for preparing silver-coated copper powder, the mixed ball milling method has a low yield of finished products. 

Chemical Plating

The chemical plating method can be further divided into reduction chemical plating, displacement reduction chemical plating, and direct displacement methods. The displacement reduction chemical plating method has advantages such as easy parameter control and good product quality, expected to become the mainstream method for preparing silver-coated copper powder.

Challenges

Pressure to improve performance: Although the performance of silver-coated copper powder has been continuously improving, it still falls short of pure silver powder in terms of conductivity and oxidation resistance. To meet the stringent performance requirements of certain high-end application areas, ongoing technological research and development and improvements are necessary.

Optimization of production process: The process for preparing silver-coated copper powder is relatively complex, particularly in the chemical plating method, where precise control of parameters such as plating solution composition, reaction temperature, and time is required to ensure that silver is uniformly and stably coated on the surface of the copper powder. There is still room for further optimization of the process and reduction of costs in the preparation of silver-coated copper powder.

Market awareness and acceptance: In some areas that traditionally use pure silver powder, there may be concerns about the performance and long-term stability of silver-coated copper powder. Raising market awareness and acceptance of silver-coated copper powder will take time, and this will be one of the key factors in further expanding its application scope.